Baby on Board: International edition

My friends Mark and Vanessa just got back from a trip overseas, and discovered that the 1980s “Baby on Board” sensation has taken a life of its own in Italy. (The two photos here came from Milan and Rome.)

Courtesy Vanessa Hua

I came out very early in The Poop’s existence as a Baby on Board apologist. (I used to make fun of these things as much as the next person, but I’ve found that becoming a parent has made me a hypocrite on a lot of issues.)

Looking at these signs, I’m starting to wonder if the reason the U.S. trend was mocked so heavily was the presentation more than the message. Something about that square yellow sign was so much more condescending than the Italian versions with penguins and happy faces. I think we might have all felt differently if the sticker was a picture of Mr. T holding a baby, saying “Drive slower, fool!” (This was the 80s, after all.)

I don’t know how it is where you live, but here in Oakland people tend to weave through traffic at insane speeds, like they’re playing a video game. I’m still a firm believer that 97 percent of people are going to resent instructions to drive safer no matter what the sticker looks like. But if that remaining 3 percent stops driving like Steve McQueen in “Bullitt” for 30 seconds, than maybe the Europeans are on to something.